Fishing & Paddling

By Collin Kelley

If you are looking to go fly fishing this year, how does the thought of 700,000 trout hitting the water entice you?

Thanks to the long-standing partnership between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resource Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, anglers can look forward to an exceptional year of trout fishing, according to state officials “The Georgia trout stocking program is typically supported by four trout hatcheries. With the Lake Burton Hatchery renovation wrapping up, we will be stocking primarily from the other three hatcheries,” explained WRD Trout Stocking Coordinator John Lee Thomson. “Good rainfall and a mild winter have allowed for great growth at these locations. Our regular distribution effort began the last full week of March, and all waterbodies scheduled to be stocked have received trout.” Popular creeks and rivers that receive regular trout stockings include Cooper Creek in Union County, Little Amicalola Creek at Amicalola State Park, Holly Creek in Murray County, and Johns Creek in Floyd County and the Tallulah River in Rabun County.

There’s also good trout fishing to be found in Catoosa, Chattooga, Fannin, and Stephens Counties. A complete list can be found at georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout, where you can also sign up for weekly trout stocking reports.

The daily limit is eight trout on general regulation trout waters. Anglers are reminded to respect private property rights along streams flowing through private lands, and to obtain permission before fishing on private property.

Georgia anglers can support fisheries conservation and trout management by buying a fishing license at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com and buying the special trout license plate at georgiawildlife.com/ licenseplates.

Grab your paddles and bikes for these upcoming river adventures

By Collin Kelley

At the height of the pandemic, visiting Georgia’s parks and rivers became more popular than ever. Paddlesports – like canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding – received a surge of interest while team sports were on hiatus, gyms and fitness centers closed, and vacation options were limited by social distancing.

Georgia River Network (GRN), a statewide river advocacy organization that runs multiple group paddle trips each year, was forced to cancel its annual week-long river journey known as Paddle Georgia. This year’s event along the Flint River from June 2026 is sold out (you can get on the wait list at garivers.org/paddle-georgia), but GRN has more trips planned later in the year. But sign up now because they sell out fast.

On July 24, the Chattahoochee Peddle-Paddle will be a 12-mile paddle and 11mile bike ride along a stretch of the river in west Georgia. Coming up Aug. 21 is the Oostanaula River Peddle-Paddle, 11.5-mile bike ride and 13.3-mile paddle explores this river that’s known for its robust population of freshwater mussels.

In the fall, the Oconee River Peddle-Paddle on Sept. 11 will explore historic ruins and old mills on a 15-mile bike ride and 11-mile paddle, while the Fall Float on the Flint Oct. 9-10 will cover 36 miles and include two nights of camping.

“Our Georgia Water Trails Network opens up greater access for paddlers and anglers and people who just want to recreate by our rivers,” said Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia River Network. “Especially during times of crisis, like these, connection to nature from simply being on a river, lake, coast, or swamp makes us feel better emotionally and contributes to our physical well-being.”

For more about the paddle trips and GRN, visit garivers.org.

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